When doing a studio milestone session for a child between the ages of 2 and 5 years old there are several questions you should ask yourself before deciding on which type of session will work best for your child. 

It's best to start with thinking about your little one in a new setting, are they typically reserved and take a minute to warm up to a new place/person/experience? Are you wanting multiple outfit changes or pictures with siblings/parents? If so then I would steer you towards a full session, there is less pressure to "get the shot" in a smaller amount of time. This gives me a chance to show them how my lights work, talk to them about the camera and even take a test picture and show them what it looks like before we really dive into the session. Once we dive into the session we can break it up if you are doing outfit changes into two sections 15-20 minutes in one outfit, change and do another 15-20 minutes in another outfit. For most kids, even those with shorter attention spans this is a great option as you are giving them two smaller experiences in the larger overall session.

If your child is anything like my oldest and walks in smiling their heart out for the camera and has never met a stranger in their life. Plus you are looking for a single outfit with no sibling/parent images then a mini is probably the right solution for you! These 20-30 minute sessions are crafted around the mindset of a young child by keeping the session fast paced and upbeat it keeps them engaged for the duration we are shooting. To start I will do the same things I mentioned above including showing them how the lights work, how the camera works and showing them an image of themselves and ask if they are ready to make more. From there we jump right into the session pulling in posing stools, little chairs or an all white modern chair when needing to break up the session and keep them engaged.

I hope this helps you in deciding what type of session is best for your little one but of course you can always ask me questions any time!